Banks Return 650M Rubles to Fraud Victims
We are conducting targeted investigations related to the return of funds when money, for example, falls into the victim's bank account but, in fact, does not reach the victim. According to the Central Bank data, in the second quarter of 2026, the number of cyberattacks by fraudsters reached 28.7 thousand.
Consensus
- Russian banks returned 650 million rubles in total to victims of fraud.
- 15,500 Russians used the refund procedure.
- The refund process applies when stolen funds were deposited into the victim's bank account but not yet withdrawn by fraudsters.
- The Central Bank of Russia's Department of Information Security head, Vadim Uvarov, confirmed the figures.
- The procedure involves joint review by the Central Bank and banks on a case-by-case basis.
- The second quarter of 2026 saw a record number of fraud attacks, reaching 28,700.
- The number of thefts via the Fast Payments System (SБП) increased nearly threefold compared to the previous year.
Points of divergence
- Mothers and fathers are more likely to fall for fraud than daughters and sons, but the data is not provided. — vm
- 63% of Russians experienced attempted phone fraud in 2026, a 25 percentage point decrease from 2025. — vedomosti
- 31% of Russians received calls from fraudsters posing as law enforcement officials in 2026. — vedomosti
- The share of citizens receiving calls from fake bank employees dropped to 38% in 2026. — vedomosti
- Crime in computer security decreased by 40.4% in January–August 2026 compared to the same period in 2025. — vedomosti
- The number of remote thefts decreased by 19.7% and IT fraud by 29% in January–August 2026. — vedomosti
- The total number of IT-related crimes decreased by 32% in January–August 2026. — vedomosti
- A new fraud scheme involves fake notifications about drone attacks, with a callback mechanism. — vm
- A single 'yes' spoken to a fraudster is not enough for money theft, as banks require multi-level verification. — vm
- The share of returned funds to victims via SБП is barely above 2% due to the client-initiated nature of the transactions. — kommerstant
- 27% fewer calls were made to teenagers aged 14–17 by fraudsters, but internet attacks via job offers increased by 20%. — vedomosti
- Boys are 2–2.5 times more likely than girls to fall for fraud attempts. — vedomosti
Coverage (5 sources)
- Russian banks returned 650 million rubles to victims of fraud — Вести
- Central Bank: Banks returned 650 million rubles to Russians harmed by scammers — Вечерняя Москва
- Russians managed to recover 650 million rubles stolen by scammers — Ведомости
- Central Bank: 15,5 thousand Russians returned stolen money through banks — Коммерсантъ
- 15.5 thousand Russians used the procedure for returning stolen money through banks — Москва 24